"A meeting of 24 nations and the European Union in mid-July will decide the fate of two proposed ocean reserves in Antarctica."

"For over 50 years, international treaties have ensured that Antarctica (map) remained a place for peaceful activities and scientific study for all. That ethos of cooperation and conservation has largely carried over to today, with recent proposals for two marine protected areas (MPAs) in the ocean surrounding Antarctica.

If designated, the two sanctuaries would become the largest marine reserves on the planet. But the proposals must first be approved by a group of 24 nations and the European Union at a meeting this July 11 to 16 in Bremerhaven, Germany (map).

The Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR)—established by international consensus in 1982 to safeguard Antarctic marine life—called the special July meeting to discuss the revised proposals. But there are concerns that the sanctuaries could be stripped of any meaning on the way to being approved."